I am currently a computer science major but I chose it because I want to be an animator in the future. I know I could get an animation degree from Full Sail, Art Institute, etc. But I don’t see these online degrees as being marketable or good for my future. I’m just worried that I won’t have the skills or won’t get hired as an animator with a degree in computer science.
A straight CS degree won’t get you a job as an animator. A CS-Games degree might. You should probably be getting something like a Digital Arts degree. Years ago CS people with a little bit of artistic ability could get animator jobs, but these days everyone seems to have a degree with the word “Art” in it.
You’ll get your job based on a portfolio more than where you got your degree, but the online schools certainly don’t have a great reputation.
This is a few years old, but should still be relevant -
http://www.animationcareerreview.com/articles/top-100-schools-animation-gaming-and-design
Look at descriptions of jobs for animators currently advertised on the internet. The jobs for animators I see on Indeed. com heavily emphasize familiarity with specific software programs. Maya, 3DSMax, Adobe Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Illustrator and Flash, and After Effects I saw mentioned more than once; there are many more.
About a third of the animator job descriptions I see don’t even mention a degree. About another third mention a degree but without stipulating the field. The remainder mention a bachelor’s but the desired field of it is not too precise (for example, “multi-media or related”, “computer graphics, engineering or art/animation preferred.” I saw more emphasis on portfolio than on degree. There was little more mention of degrees when I put “entry-level” after “Animator.”
There were 240,580 results for “Computer Science” jobs and 5,359 for “Animation” jobs on Indeed.com today.
The objectives should be mastering the programs that are in demand and developing means, such as a portfolio, to demonstrate you have mastered them. The situation allows flexibility in what vehicle(s) you use to obtain mastery of the skills required; it could be a major, some classes but not a major, or not even formal education.
Here’s a cool major that combines CS with Fine Arts-very unique degree. My son may end up going in this direction rather than Fine Arts, though it’s intense/hard.
http://www.seas.upenn.edu/undergraduate/degrees/maj-digitalmedia.php